Using Spatial Audio in 360 Degree and VR Videos

Video creators now can tell interesting stories with 360 degree or virtual reality videos. Watching a virtual reality of a 360-degree video will give immersive experience to the audience, and if it combines with Spatial Audio in 360, the experience will be more interesting. Spatial Audio in 360 is everything from depth, distance and intensity play equally important roles.

What is Spatial Audio in 360 Degree and VR Videos

3D sound is extremely important to get immersive 360 degree of VR experience. Audio recording for virtual reality or 360 degree video are different than the usual. Usually Ambisonic microphones are used to capture the sound for 360 degree videos from all the directors. To record sound for virtual reality videos, the microphones need to be small and should not be visible. Ambisonic microphones though are used one mic is not enough.

Spatial audio is the most familiar audio effect for 360 degree video and VR video.

YouTube Spatial Audio in 360 Degree and VR Videos

YouTube spatial Audio in 360 degrees and VR video can be used to experience a real lifelike sound. The sound in all directions takes the video experience to higher levels, and the viewers can be engaged more to the video content.

Spatial audio on headphones or speakers can listen when the users are watching the 360 degree and VR videos on devices that are working on YouTube android app on Android 4.2 version or higher and on Chrome, Firefox, Opera and other browsers.

Create a 360 degree or VR video and use the metadata tool to insert Spatial Audio metadata. You can only use a single audio track but not spatial as well as the stereo track in the same file. Run the metadata tool and then upload the video to the YouTube.

YouTube even created a playlist for 360-degree videos with a spatial audio list which can enjoy on the android device. YouTube also offers spatial audio technology for 360 degrees live streaming.

Facebook Spatial Audio in 360 Degree and VR Video

Popular social site Facebook launched spatial audio for its 360 degree and VR videos. The launching announcement made by Abesh Thakur, Oculus VR product manager and Varun Nair of Facebook technical lead. The audio is launched for iOS and other Android applications.

According to the description given by Facebook, the spatial audio is like 3D sound for 360 degree or VR videos. It gives a feeling of the real-life sound heard by humans but can experience over headphones. As the 360-degree video moved, the sound also moves.

Those who want to create spatial audio for their Facebook 360 degree or VR videos can use the ambisonic microphone or use the 360 spatial workstation tools of Facebook to edit the video in post-production stage. The future of audio for virtual reality or 360-degree video is likely to be very exciting.